Liver volumetry in cirrhotic patients with or without hepatocellular carcinoma: Its correlation with Child–Pugh, model for end-stage liver diseases and indocyanine green dye test

To evaluate the correlation between non-tumoral liver volume (NTLV) by computed tomography (CT) volumetry and indocyanine green retention at 15 minutes (ICG-r15%), Child–Pugh score (CTP) and model for end-stage liver diseases (MELD) score in cirrhotic patients having hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (group A) and in cirrhotics without HCC (group B).

As many as 111 consecutive patients with liver cirrhosis, who underwent triple-phase CT abdomen, were retrospectively included in our study. They were classified into group A (cirrhosis with HCC, n = 69) and group B (cirrhosis only, n = 42). Segmental liver volume, tumor and NTLV were calculated using Myrian XP-Liver segmentation software. In group B, NTLV was the same as the total liver volume (TLV). The correlation of NTLV with ICG-r15%, CTP and MELD scores was analyzed using appropriate correlation tests for each group.

NTLV had a good and significant negative correlation with ICG-r15% (ρ =  − 512; p < 0.001) in group A, but not in group B. It also had a significant negative correlation with CTP (ρ =  − 251; p = 0.038) and MELD (ρ =  − 323; p = 0.007) scores only in group A. Furthermore, ICG-r15% had a good and significant positive correlation with CTP and MELD scores in both groups (p < 0.05).

NTLV showed a significant negative correlation with ICG-r15% in cirrhotic patients with HCC, but not in cirrhotic patients without HCC. Therefore, CT volumetry can be a valuable tool to predict the functional hepatic volume in patients of cirrhosis with HCC subjected for hepatectomy, where a facility of ICG-r15% is not available. However, further studies are needed to validate our findings in cirrhotic only patients.